Author Topic: KR200 in Havana Cuba  (Read 4804 times)

Jim Janecek

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KR200 in Havana Cuba
« on: May 22, 2010, 03:43:21 PM »
Photographers from all over the world recently submitted photos taken during a 48 hour period for a project.
Never mind, it was just a set of photos from Reuters. But still...

Look what showed up in the pics!  A KR200 in Cuba.

« Last Edit: May 22, 2010, 03:51:11 PM by JimJanecek »

Stuart Cyphus

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2010, 04:38:19 PM »
  :)  There was an article in a Kabinews within the last ten years about a Messerschmitt having been found in Cuba, complete with steering wheel bodged on it....

blob

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2010, 06:53:49 PM »
Schmitts turn up in South America from time to time. I've seen them on Argentinas answer to eBay, not sure if they were ever manufactured there, wasn't argentina given a license to Make Heinkels? Maybe the Cuban Schmitt came from that neck of the woods.

Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2010, 07:51:42 PM »
Heres another one from Flickr
Malcolm
Bond Mk D - "The Bond Minicar solves your problem"
Nobel 200 - "Almost as cheap as breathing!"

Rusty Chrome (Malcolm Parker)

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2010, 08:00:08 PM »
Did anyone else see this story about the four wheel Messerschmitt K106 prototype

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2010/04/15/going-four-wheeling-with-the-messerschmitt-k-106/


(fixed the link...)
« Last Edit: May 22, 2010, 09:20:20 PM by JimJanecek »
Malcolm
Bond Mk D - "The Bond Minicar solves your problem"
Nobel 200 - "Almost as cheap as breathing!"

marcus

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2010, 09:27:54 PM »
That link does not work!
Just remember: as one door closes behind you, another slams in your face

richard

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2010, 10:14:25 PM »
agreed ;)
outside of a dog a book is mans best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read .Groucho Marx 1895-1977

Jim Janecek

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2010, 12:41:23 AM »
it works for me.  I click on it and it opens.

There is a possibility that it is blocked by your ISP in the UK for some reason.

how about this link:
http://tinyurl.com/26fy7y8

Big Al

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #8 on: May 23, 2010, 08:20:29 AM »
The Cuba connection would be America until Castro took over. There are many intersting 'classics' in the country but very often modified for continued use during Cuba's isolated days as an outpost of communism. This car is an early one, probably pre-1957, judging by the trim. Will it be using Castro ST90 and two stroke?

As I understand it Argentina took Messerschmitt kits in to be constructed on arrival. This presumably saved on taxation and was not an unusual practice, Goggomobil and Bill Buckle for instance did similar but later Buckle created his own bodyshells in GRP. The Heinkel production was a further step as actual Heinkel tooling was sent to the Argentine to the point the cars could be said to be home produced just as was the Irish Heinkel at Dundalk. Heinkel always retained the engine production in house to keep quality constant and a very healthy profit stream without the need to bother with making the rest of the car or the marketing to a great extent leaving him free to concentrate on aerospace projects.

There was a film of Brasilia and its design which had a bubbletop Isetta prominently in it. Not by mistake I suggest as the designs suited each other. Goggos pop up, there is certainly at least one in Cuba. Peru has a particularly large number of BMW Isetta/600. There is an Isetta on the Falklands and another on the Galapagos - though it has a mutated to have a bigger door to get American tourists in to survive. Scootacar in Karla Lumpar etc etc. Far flung is the froth of funny little vehicles.
Messerschmitt set, Goggo Darts, Heinkel 175, Fiat Jolly, Autobianchi, Fairthorpe Electron Minor, Borgward, Isuzu Trooper
Citroen BX 17TZD & GTI 16v
Held - MG Magnette ZB & 4/44
For sale - Vellam Isetta, Bamby, AC Type 70, Velorex, Church Pod, Reliant Mk5, KR200,  Saab 96, Bellemy Trials, Citroen BXs

marcus

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2010, 08:48:19 AM »
The Heinkel trojan Club has a member in Montevideo, Uruguay who I am in occasional contact with. He helped trace the location of my old house and school and sent me photos of them, still there nearly 50 years later. He has restored several Heinkel Trojans, some made in Argentina 100 miles away over the River Plate, some exported to Uruguay from Germany, Ireland and England. The local bus company ran a fleet of Isettas for communications. He has encountered a fair number of Shmitts too. While doing this research my Mum unearthed some prints she made there. One shows the beach near our house, and La Rambla, the main coast road, chock full of traffic and a crash with much attendant arm waving ("choques" were a regular occurence!). Among the vehicles (of all sorts and all ages - several "Jalopies" there - is very obviously an Isetta, it is half the size of a pea, but unmistakeable. I aked Mum if she remembered them, and she said definitely, they were a regular sight scuttling around, and perhaps seeing them at 2-5 years old set me on the true path of enlightenment!
Just remember: as one door closes behind you, another slams in your face

richard

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2010, 09:15:27 AM »
thanks jim
link worked fine what a fascinating story - never heard any of it before .
outside of a dog a book is mans best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read .Groucho Marx 1895-1977

marcus

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Re: KR200 in Havana Cuba
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2010, 09:52:46 AM »
Yup, cheers Jim that one works fine. I had read that Messershmitt/Fend were planning to make a car with a similar layout to a TG500 but making better use of the length and width of the 4 wheel layout, but I had no idea of cars actually being made, fantastic to read about those! It seems that it was too little too late, and not enough funds to pursue the ideas, and times were already changing rapidly from post-war austerity to mass consumer culture. There was also a racing car (built by or for Count Trossi?) with a large radial engine.
Just remember: as one door closes behind you, another slams in your face